Royal Gramma Basslet
Common Names: Royal Gramma, Fairy Basslet
Scientific Name: Gramma loreto
Family: Grammidae
Maximum Size: 3 inches
Life expectancy: 5 years
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 78°F
pH Range: 8.1 - 8.4
SG: 1.020 - 1.025
Water hardness: 8 - 12
Temperament: Peaceful
Origin: Caribbean, Tropical Western Pacific
Aquarium Setup:
A larger tank is recommended, especially if you’re planning to have several Royal Gramma Basslets. But, they have been kept successfully in tanks as small as 10 gallons when only one is present.
If a small substrate is used they will enjoy digging and rearranging the sand or gravel. They need lot’s of caves and crevices, many Royal Gramma’s won’t venture far from their chosen home. It’s recommended to have at least two hiding places for each Grammar in the tank.
The aquarium needs to have good water circulation and the water quality needs to be maintained. They can do very well in a reef tank, although they might eat marine worms and small crustaceans.
They prefer as much tank decorations as you can have to hide in and choose the perfect home. Gramma’s are very good jumpers, so make sure that the tank is covered.
Diet:
Gramma Basslet’s aren’t picky eaters, however if they’re fed the same foods over long periods of time they might become picky. Feeding them a wide variety of foods can prevent this from happening.
They will eat almost any flake food and thrives on meaty foods. It can be fed shrimp, clams or fish as long as they’re chopped up small enough for the Gramma to eat.
Their vibrant colors will often normally fade when kept in captivity. A variety of foods and vitamins that contain color enhancers will prevent this and keep their colors vibrant.
Tank Mates/Community:
While normally peaceful fish most Gramma’s will show aggression towards other males of the same species. However, in a large enough tank with lot’s of hiding places they’ve been known to get along well together.
Other fish in the community can include Clownfish, Damselfish, Gobies, Catfish, Firefish, Rabbitfish and Butterflyfish. Any fish large enough to eat them should definitely be avoided. These include Lionfish, Trigger’s, Grouper’s and Snapper’s.
Behavior:
Royal Gramma’s said to be shy fish, they will spend lots of time out in the tank. But, if threatened or startled they will quickly dart back to the safety of their home. While Gramma’s might be smaller fish, they will quickly defend their home against any tank mates.
Color:
The Gramma’s front section has bright shades of purple and lighter shades of violet. The back half of this beautiful fish is a bright, almost neon yellow. There’s a black stripe that goes from the front of it’s mouth up over the top of it’s eye and a black spot at the tip of the dorsal fin.
Breeding:
In the Royal Gramma family it’s the males that make the nest. He will carry pieces of plants or algae into his den and get the nest ready for the eggs. The spawning starts with the male shaking his body at the female and then returning to his den.
He will repeat this display until he entices her into following him into the den. The eggs will be deposited inside the nest and are guarded by the male until they hatch in approximately one week.
Interesting Notes:
These entertaining little fish can be found hanging out at all angles in the tank. They’re often found upside down in the cave or crevice that they’ve claimed as their home.
Under different lighting conditions the purple and violet shades can appear to change. Sometimes they can look bluish and even have a green shade. You can experiment with light to change the colors of your Gramma!
